Demonology 101
by fallendeHimmel
Summary: When Arthur looses his beloved to a tragic incident, he goes as far as summoning up a demon to bring him back. But when Alfred shows back up in his life again both are hiding dark secrets from the other. Can their love pass mortal boundaries? M for Russia later on
1. Chapter 1

**Yeah, I know I should be working on other things, but you can't stop the plot bunnies from breeding man. A little dark for a while, but it lightens up later (sorta) super duper twists and turns throughout the thing, so hang on for the ride! **

**(Hey look guys! I'm finally writing something other than PruCan! I don't even think it will have any of them in here at all…now I'm kinda sad…)**

**Enjoy!**

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_It's so dark…_

It was always dark here, every little sound putting his nerves on end. Off in the distance he could hear the sound of a siren blaring from a police car. He quickened his pace, being reminded of the common saying of "crime never sleeps" while he held his messenger bag closer to his body.

Why did he still walk this way?

Dread began to fill him as he neared the place, that place. It felt as if the alley way was trying to pull him in, envelop him in its eternal darkness. He had tried avoiding it for so long, but whenever he walked a different route home he more often than not got mugged, even though all they ever took was his cash.

The thought of being so close made his heart ache even though he didn't even walk through it. No, he would never walk through it, no matter how urgent the need to make it home was. Nothing could make him walk that way again.

-o-o-o-o-o-

"Alfred, calm down already you twit." Arthur told his boyfriend, mild irritation in his voice. In all honesty he thought it was cute how animated the other would get about things, but walking home in this part of town, this late at night, it probably wasn't the best place for such antics.

"Aw come on Iggy, you have to admit that movie was awesome!" Alfred exclaimed, "I mean, there were so many explosions and fighting! Dude, best movie ever." He finished with a flourish in the air, using his arms to emphasize said explosions.

Arthur sighed, "Yeah, yeah, it was good, but you should quiet down, your being too loud." He glanced around nervously, a shiver running down his spine. Alfred noticed this and wrapped his arm around the others shoulders, suddenly serious.

"Okay, I'll behave, don't worry. Like I would ever let anyone hurt you anyways." Bright blue eyes met jade ones, passion evident in Alfred's, and in moments all of Arthur's worry dissipated, warmth growing in the pit of his stomach in place of worry. "Okay?" They had stopped walking now, both staring intently at the other. Alfred leaned forward, slowly placing a light kiss on Arthur's waiting lips.

Alfred smiled at the blush that rose to his boyfriends face, grabbing his hand in his own and continuing the walk to Arthur's apartment. He gave a reassuring squeeze as they walked, loving the way the shorter blonde would get so flustered sometimes.

It was dark out, but Alfred didn't mind. He would get Iggy home safe and sound and then he would make his way back to his own place. He was just glad they didn't watch a scary movie tonight, or he would have to stay over at Arthur's house for the night; to give Arthur comfort of course, it's not like he would be scared of that stuff, of course not! But then again, maybe they should have watched one, it'd be a good excuse to spend some time alone together…

Alfred shook his head, as if to rid himself of the thoughts flooding there. He was taking Iggy home and that was it. He needed to pay better attention when traveling these streets, could walk yourself right into trouble like that. He took the shortcut through the alley, like usual. The end dropped them right out in front of Arthur's building across the street, so it was quite convenient.

Arthur clenched tighter to Alfred's arm as they entered the dark pass between the tall buildings. He didn't know why, but something about this place always put him on edge. Having Alfred there calmed his nerves some of course, but there was just something wrong, a something that made his stomach twist with anxiety.

Regardless of the uneasy feeling he had, they made it through the shortcut with little incident, only the accidental bump of a pile of boxes making more noise than Arthur appreciated, and Alfred apologized for that. But even as they walked up to his door the feeling never went away.

_What is this? Usually it's fine by the time we make it here, but today I just can't shake this bad feeling…_

"Hey Iggy, you okay?" Arthur blinked in surprise, not noticing that they had stopped and that Alfred was now standing in front of him, his brow creased in worry. "You've been acting strange since the movie, is there something wrong?"

Arthur bit his lip, wondering whether he should tell the other about the awful feeling he had or not, but that would probably result in Alfred insisting on staying over…

"No, its fine. I'm fine." He looked up, giving his boyfriend what he hoped was a reassuring smile. He was relived when Alfred smiled back, seemingly convinced.

"We'll, I guess I'd better get going. See you later?" It seemed that Alfred was unsure.

"Yes, tomorrow." Arthur smiled as he stood on his tiptoes to catch the others lips in a kiss, surprising Alfred, but not unpleasantly so. He wrapped his arms around Arthur's waist, deepening the kiss. The two stayed like this for a minute until they broke apart, their breathing ragged with unspoken lust.

"Well, I'd better get inside." Arthur said as he stepped away.

"Yeah. Get some sleep Artie. I'll see you tomorrow." Alfred gave the shorter blonde one last peck before walking back down the steps, Arthur watching his retreating back for a moment before stepping inside his small apartment.

The soft click of the latch when the door closed felt like a hammer slamming into his chest, the sudden shock sending him to his knees.

_What? Why do I feel…why do I feel like this?_

His eyes widened in horror as the phantom pain grew worse. It was as if the dread he felt earlier evolved into a physical form and had set itself in the pit of his stomach, the longer he knelt there the heavier it weighed on him. A shiver ran down his spine as he glanced over at his phone, now on the floor next to him.

_Alfred._

The name echoed in his mind as trembling fingers picked up the cell phone, nervously typing in the numbers he knew belonged to his beloved. His breath grew heavy as he lifted it to his ear, a cold sweat breaking out across his skin.

**Ring. **

_Alfred, please god, answer the bloody phone._

**Ring.**

_Bloody hell Alfred, answer it already! His hands trembled as he waited._

**Rin-**

"Arthur? What's up? Miss me already?" Alfred's always cheery voice rang out across the line, causing Arthur to release a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.

With a shaky laugh he managed to answer back, "As if you git! I-I just thought I forgot something with you is all, but I just found it," he covered up. He never wanted to admit that he was worried about the other person, at least not to his face. Or ear.

"Yeah, well, since we're already on the phone, why don't we just chat until I get home? I could use the company~" he teased.

A wave of relief washed over him at this proposition, calming his nerves though it couldn't completely erase the tension that still gripped in his gut. "Bollocks, you'd be perfectly happy so long as you had a mirror to talk to." He laughed nervously again.

"Are you going to walk me home or not?" He asked, play serious. His voice seemed to echo in the background, a shiver running up Arthur's spine as he realized where the other was.

"Are you walking through the alley by yourself?"

Alfred laughed on the other side of the phone, "Well _yeah_, it's the fastest way back to my house." he explained, as if it were obvious. "I mean…" his voice died down, and Arthur could barely make out another voice with Alfred.

No. "Alfred? Alfred what's going on?" Realization hit him in that instant. The dread he felt began to sprout, the feeling spreading across him until it enveloped his entire being.

He heard Alfred's voice again, farther away this time. "Dude, chill out man, I don't have any cash on m-"

_No. _

"Hey hey, okay, I get it, just put away the gun, no need to be-"

Arthur sprinted out the door, the silence of the night broken by the sound of a shot ringing through the air, even louder through the phone he still carried with him.

He dashed down the steps, fear and utter despair fueling him, making him run faster than he has ever before.

_Oh god, Alfred. Alfred please be okay. Oh god. _Alfred.

Even through the darkness he could see a figure up ahead, a silhouette against the light from the next street over. He slowed, fear seeping through every pore. He could see a figure lying on the ground in front of the other mans feet, unmoving, and Arthur could make out large numbers on the back…

"_Alfred!" _he could hear himself scream, and then everything went black.

-o-o-

**So there's the first chapter! Might have the next one up soon, but I have like three other stories I'm working on, so maybe not…**

**Don't know where all of this came from, but I just suddenly felt the urge to write some sad fic ): but don't worry, it'll get better, and I actually have a plot all set up! (kinda)**

**And it was so hard to find the right music to write this to D: but I managed!**

**Do review and let me know what you think! It will probably push it higher up on my priorities list if I feel like people are liking it~~**


	2. Chapter 2

**So, I plan on this being a long chapter, the one where things really start to pick up and all, lots happens and whatnot. This is where it starts to get interesting I think.**

**Ya know, I haven't really been saying this a lot on any of the other stories, but uh, I don't own Hetalia? I don't know why I would need to tell _you_ this, you're on FanFiction for goodness sake, you know what happens here.  
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**Whelp! Enjoy!  
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"Arthur-kun! W-wait up!" He had finished his classes for the day and was on his way home when a familiar voice called from behind him. Arthur stopped walking, looking back to see his friend running up to him, his black hair tousled as he came up.

"Oh, hey Kiku. What's up?" The blonde had been lost in his own thought's prior, so he felt bad that he hadn't noticed if Kiku had been trying to get his attention earlier.

The small Asian was bent over, hands on his knees as he tried catch his breath, holding up one finger in the universal gesture for _give me a minute._

Arthur waited patiently for his friend to regain his composure, feeling a pang of guilt as he realized that he hadn't spoken to Kiku in over two weeks. He had practically cut himself off from civilization, only finally being forced to come back to school two days ago after missing it for so long. Arthur's shoulders stiffened as his thoughts began to trail back to Alfred. He had managed to keep him out of his mind most of the day, but the closer to solitude he came the more he seemed to think about his boyfriend….or who used to be his boyfriend as some might say, but he wouldn't let go. Not yet.

"So how are you doing? Have you been okay" By this point Kiku seemed to have recovered and was now staring at Arthur with a cautious air, probably noticing some of his friends tension.

Arthur realized this; he had felt the pity filled stares all day, and quickly slipped on his mask, an emotional barrier he had developed over the past few days to hide what he was really feeling as people tried to sympathize with him. He didn't want people to stare at him like that, he didn't want them to know what he went through, or for people to think they knew how he felt. So he would put on this mask and pretend that none of it bothered him as much as it really did.

"Oh I'm fine." He smiled at his friend, it felt out of place there on his face. "How about you? You're the one who just ran about half a mile." He finished with a halfhearted chuckle, yet another thing that felt foreign to him now.

Kiku's eyes seemed to bug a little, surprised at the lighthearted conversation that Arthur had engaged in, but decided it was best to just go along with it. He walked with Arthur, the two chatting a little too casually, until he had to go a different direction home, wishing the blonde farewell before parting.

Arthur heaved a sigh as he watched his friend leave, oddly relieved to be alone once more. All he wanted to do was lay in bed, curl up next to the spot where Alfred used to sleep whenever he stayed over, and drift off into a hopefully dreamless sleep. He used to like imagining that Alfred was still there, laying beside him, watching him sleep like he used to, but whenever he would open his eyes to find Alfred not there, he was forced to face the knowledge that he never would be again. It was this that pulled him into a deeper depression for so long.

A few droplets landing on his skin drew his mind away from the dark thoughts momentarily, only just noticing the rain that began to fall. For a moment he just stood there, turning his face up toward the sky and feeling the cold wetness trail down his skin, giving into the feeling he had kept pent up all day. No one would be able to see his tears being washed away by the rain.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Arthur lay in his bed, wide awake and unable to go back to sleep. He was afraid to. After coming home from school he had promptly plopped onto his mattress, quickly falling into a deep sleep that he soon found hard to get out of. A once pleasant dream quickly warped into a devastating nightmare. He had been walking with Alfred after a dinner at a nice restaurant, the two laughing and joking pleasantly when all of a sudden stone walls grew from the ground besides them, casting them in dark shadows. Arthur turned around in a panic, Alfred no where to be found. And then, just as quickly, he was there again, his body twisted in impossible angles as his eyes stared out lifelessly into the darkness. A pool of crimson was growing around him, Arthur staring in horror as the blood began crawl towards him, twisting sickeningly up his legs. He was frozen, unable to move as the tendrils climbed, all the way past his neck and seeping into his mouth and down his throat, mangled cries escaping his him before it started choking him, drowning him in the coppery liquid.

What made it worse was that at some point Alfred had come to stand in front of him again, his blue eyes bright and terrifying, watching as Arthur was engulfed in the searing red heat. His body still mangled and beaten, his jaw hung wrong, though the words he spoke rang clearly through Arthur's mind.

"_I'm sorry."_

Arthur bolted upright, the sheets tangling around his legs sending him into a slight panic before he realized he had woken up from the night mare. After that he refused to shut his eyes, afraid that he would plummet into the same horrific dream. Or maybe one worse.

With a sigh he rose from the bed, looking over at his clock to see that it was about two thirty in the morning before walking over to his window. With a little bit of effort he managed to get the old frame open, allowing the breeze to come in and chill some of the sweat that had begun to bead on his forehead. The air rustled the curtains next to him, making them billow in the gentle breeze, a sense of calm filling the atmosphere as he closed his eyes and basked in the momentary peace when a strong air rushed in, making him wince at the surprising chill. He could hear papers rustle on his desk, quickly turning to catch the falling pieces before they got too messed up.

"Great, I should really put all of this stuff away…" With a sigh he began to gather the papers up, sorting them into neat little piles and then stacking up the many books he had there, planning to put them back on the shelf in their respective places.

One of the books lay open, a few of the pages flipping before he rested his hand on it, about to close it when he stopped. It was one of his spell books he had lying around; he loved to study these sort of things, it wasn't as if he really believed in all of that stuff, of course not, he wasn't crazy, but some of the smaller things never hurt to try. But this was one he had found a while back when shopping with Alfred, much more dark spells between its pages than he ever dared try. This particular page had a slip of paper stuck into it, just a scrap piece of paper that seemed to be acting as a bookmark.

_How odd._ Arthur mused as he looked at the contents of the page curiously, his eyes widening as he looked closer at the description there. The page was about summoning demons, all the different types and reasons a person may have for summoning such a creature into the human world. On the reverse side there was a grotesque depiction of a creature; long horns curling around its face and nearly into it eyes, forked tongue and long claws out as it held a human in its arms, surrounded by fire in the pits of hell. A shiver ran down his spine at the sight, the disturbing image burning into his mind. But it was one sentence that caught his attention and had him standing motionless, dismissing the image of the creature.

…_grant wishes."_

In that instant everything in Arthurs world turned upside down. He vision blurred as his mind ran a mile a minute, trying to grasp just what the page was telling him. Sure, there were a lot of things you could do with a wish, but only one thing spoke up in his mind.

_Alfred. I-I can bring Alfred back._

Tears began to flow out of his eyes as the words on the page made everything inside of him melt, only one thing important to him now. He knew it was risky, and that he would probably have to give up something very dear to him. Considering it was a demon he was talking about, that thing could likely be his soul. But if it meant he could bring back Alfred, so be it.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Arthur sat in the middle of his bedroom, all the furniture pushed off to the sides to make space for the circle of candles that surrounded him, the only light source there at the moment. A variety of colors were needed for this ritual; a blue candle to bring about stability and wisdom in his choices made within the circle, a yellow candle for concentration, one could not afford to be distracted when conducting such a dangerous task. Orange to his left to bring forth his intentions for summoning the demon, many might try to bait you into making another deal with them so it was a good reinforcement. Black to his right would open the deeper levels of his consciousness, allowing more energy to flow into the spell. And finally, two blood red candles sat on either side of a tall mirror he had set up in front of him, the candles a magnifier for the doorway he would create. It took him only twenty minutes to set it all up, and he was as ready as he would ever be.

Opening up the book, he began to recite the inscription that was on the back of the page, a shiver running up his spine as he spoke.

_Silence make the demons come alive, Silence make the demons come alive, _

_Silence make the demons come alive, Silence make the demons come alive, Silence make the demons come alive; _

_I call upon the power of the Dark Lordis and I invite the great demons, you may enter_

He could feel the temperature in the room drop by a few degrees, his image in the mirror seeming to darken and warp as he continued.

_Satanatus, o' great demon_

_Satanatus, your power strengthens here_

_Satanatus, Of which I summon_

_Satanatus, Come through this door, opened for you_

_Satanatus;_

_Life of the great demons, come to us._

Arthur paled as the energy in the room intensified, the power so thick it was almost suffocating. His reflection was no longer his, a warped, dark figure in his place growing larger and larger as it crept closer. Long claws resembling hands reached up to the glass, as if it were expecting resistance, a sinister grin appearing on the dark mass when it found none.

The blonde held still as the demon emerged from the mirror, the figure distorted as if he was viewing it through rippled water. The only thing that stood out to him was the piercing blue eyes. There was no light, no whites in the eyes that stared at him with such intensity that he felt the creature was looking at his very soul, yet the blue seemed to glow in contrast to the black that surrounded them. The darkness began to take shape, the black wisps shrinking back until it took a solid shape. He saw the shape roll its head, as if it were adjusting to the solid form, stretching its limbs away from its body and coming back down to the sides with color, becoming more defined every second.

Arthur blinked. No longer was the figment of nightmares standing before him, but a woman. Slender and tall, she stood regally, looking down at him with a sneer on her face. The change had happened so quickly that Arthur couldn't make top or bottom of it.

"Well?" the platinum blonde before him was tapping her foot, impatient, her long hair rubbing against her calves as she did so.

Arthur was aghast; he didn't really know what he had expected to face when he decided to summon a demon, but surely it wasn't this.

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**My dad would freak out if he ever saw all the stuff I was looking up for this story. He'd probably think I was worshiping satan or something. (his side of the family is full of Christian Extremists)**

**Off to delete my history~ **

**Dude, even **_**I**_** felt creeped out looking up how to summon demons…shit man. Hope you guys appreciate the lengths I went to make this as uh, **_**realistic**_** as possible. Yeah, lets call it that. I found a halfway decent incantation, but I changed it up until I thought it sounded better lol.  
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**So do you guys know who it is? I would think its obvious, but I dunno what goes on in everyone else's heads. Who wants to guess?  
**

**Reviews? :D**


	3. Chapter 3

**Well did you guess it right? I made her look a bit different, seeing as she's a demon and all, but longer hair really isn't that much of a change. Sorry it took me a bit to post this, at least I think it was awhile, I honestly don't know. I typically like to update at around noon during the day, better exposure that way? Maybe, but since I work so much this week that wouldn't really work so well…**

**But enough about me! Here you go!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia!**

**Claimer: "!" "…"**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia…**

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"Well?" she repeated, giving him an irritated look. "You summoned me, so I assume that you wanted something?"

For a moment Arthur's mouth just gaped, opening and closing like-

"You look like a beached fish, quit that and spit it out already Eyebrows! I was in the middle of something when you dragged me up here you know." She rolled her eyes.

Arthur snapped out of his momentary gaping, ignoring her comment on his facial features and trying not to notice her mostly nude state. Not that it really bothered him, but he was a gentleman and was startled to see any woman bare her breasts so openly. But then again, this was a demon he was talking about.

He cleared his throat before looking the other in the eyes. She seemed amused by his nerve.

"Um, ms…"

"Natalia."

"Right, well…"

"Just say it already!" She was quickly loosing her temper

"I want you to bring someone back from the dead." It came out in a rush, his words hurried by a tinge of fear.

Surprise flashed across her face before amusement covered it up again, her mouth twisting into the sinister grin he had glimpsed earlier. "You do know what you're dealing with here, don't you? This isn't some game or child's play. You're talking about dragging someone back from their resting place, regardless whether they ended up in a good place or not mind you, and then bring them back into a living society where no one can notice that they were ever gone. That's a lot of meddling with nature, and it comes with a high price." She explained, pretending to examine her nails as she did, looking over at him during the last part of her speech.

Arthur suppressed a shiver. He didn't really think about all the details earlier, too caught up in the chance to think about such important things. He bowed his head, fear and depression coursing through him as he truly realized the extent of what he was doing.

"Well, if that's all you called me for then I will be on my w-"

"I'll do it." His voice was barely a whisper.

"Hmmm?" She inclined her head as she leaned in close to him, an evil smile playing on her lips.

"I-I said I'll do it." He repeated, picking up his head to look her in the eye, his hands balling into fists.

Her grin grew wider as she straightened up, "Ah, well. What should the price be~? So maaaany choices." She began to circle him, innocently holding her hand on her chin as if in thought, though Arthur could feel the predatory vibe coming from her. And he was the prey. "Hmmm, maybe your soul? No, too cliché. I could make you a slave to the underworld, some have done that, but you look so frail. Though it would be fun to hear you scream, beg for a mercy that would never come." A shiver ran down his spine, though he kept his shoulders squared. She narrowed her eyes and leaned down behind him, her breath cold against his skin as she whispered into his ear. "I could take away all of your memories back till you were three," She pressed a sharp finger against his temple for emphasis, the nail drawing a bead of blood, "and leave you pissing your pants like a toddler, making you an effective vegetable." She stood back up, resuming her pace again, coming to a stop in front of him. "But maybe we should know who it is you're wanting to bring back. Some are harder to get to than others, you know, with me being pretty limited to Hades." She stopped, waiting for him to reply, though he seemed to still be a bit shocked from her messing with him "Well? Who is it?"

"A-Alfred. Alfred F. Jones" He stuttered.

The sudden burst of laughter coming from the blonde woman in front of him nearly made him jump out of his own skin, the sound shrill and fluttery, though the dangerous undertone remained. He was absolutely stunned. Now that was something he hadn't expected. Did he say something wrong?

"Oh you have got to be kidding me. That's the best thing I have heard in _centuries_." She managed between fits of laughter.

Arthur wasn't sure whether to feel confused or insulted. Sure he wasn't that good with magic, but he wasn't _that _bad. He got her here didn't he? "I beg your pardon, but I fail to see what is so humorous." He settled on slight irritation.

She wiped imaginary tears from her eyes, seemingly over her moment. "You really have no idea do you? Oh this could be fun."

With a blink Arthur was once again alone in his apartment, the chill gone from the room and many of the candles now out, leaving him in near darkness. He looked over at the mirror to see a weary looking blonde staring at him with shocked emerald eyes, nothing else there to give evidence of any previous supernatural presence. It was like she was never there.

Did he imagine it all? He could still feel the cold breath down his neck, but surely it was his imagination. With a sigh he stood, rubbing his temples to ease his stress, stimulating a slight ache on the side of his head. When he brought his hand away from his face his fingers were stained red, slight warmth trickling down the slope of his chin. He stood there for a moment, staring at the crimson liquid that blotched over his fingertips before he walked over to the bathroom, the light blinding compared to the darkness he had sat in for half an hour when he had turned on the switch. Through squinted eyes he could see a trail of red curving down his face, a drop threatening to fall on the white shirt he wore beneath his robes.

Eyes widening in shock, he quickly turned on the faucet, not waiting for the water to warm up before splashing it on his face, watching as the pink tinged water swirled down the drain.

Panting now, he turned off the water, staring down at the white porcelain of the sink as he tried to get the nerve to look up. Curiosity getting the better of him he glanced up at his reflection before turning the side of his face towards the mirror to see better. A small scar was there, crescent shaped to almost that of a nail…

His eyes widened in realization. _It did happen. It really was here. But, did she take something from me? _Arthur did a quick scan, _no memories seem to be missing. She must have done _something_, right? _He quickly took off his clothing, checking for any unusual mars or markings on his flesh that might symbolize one who had been claimed by a demon, he had heard something like that before. Though the only thing he found was a birthmark on his chest that he had had since being a child. He walked back into the bedroom, looking around to further confirm him of what had happened. It all seemed so surreal at the moment.

Frustrated, he sat down on his bed with a huff. "Did it even work? Maybe she didn't do it? Maybe I was asking to much? But she seemed fine with it earlier, what could have made here change her mind?" Absentmindedly he fingered the dog tags that hung around his neck; they had been Alfred's before, but knowing how much his boyfriend cherished them he held onto them in a vain attempt to keep some part of the other in his life. Arthur dug his face into his pillow, anger and confusion fighting for dominance in his mind, depression ultimately winning out through sneak attack. Both mentally and physically tired he just laid there, not realizing when the dark abyss of sleep took him, lulling him into a dreamless night.

-o-o-o-o-o-

"Arthur-kun, are you alright?" Said Brit currently had his head propped up in his hands, eyelids drooping as he struggled to stay awake through the teachers lesson on quantum physics.

"Hmm? Oh, yeah, I'm fine." He barely glanced at the other person, trying but failing to open his eyes wide enough to keep himself awake.

Kiku looked at his friend, worry etched into his brow. "Have you been getting enough sleep these days? It looks as though there are dark circles beneath your eyes." He gestured beneath his own for effect.

"Yeah, just restless I guess. Don't worry." That was the last thing he wanted. It had been two days since Arthur had summoned the demon, and still he had seen hide nor hair of the creature. As far as he knew it was off telling its friends about the dumb human who didn't know how to properly ask a favor. That would be just his luck. With another sigh he burrowed his face in his hands, gingerly massaging his forehead.

"Did you two get into a fight again?" Kiku asked hesitantly.

Arthur furrowed his brow, "What?"

The small Japanese boy instantly began apologizing, his face bright red, "Ah-! I'm sorry! It's none of my business!" The bell signaling the end of the school day cut off anymore questions Arthur might have had, the Asian hurrying out the door before Arthur could even begin to gather his things. _What was that about?_

Dismissing it as another of Kiku's off days, he made his way to his locker, none too graciously putting his heavy textbooks away and slamming the metal door shut. Slumping his shoulders, he began the walk home, looking to exit out the side of the school when he saw a face he hadn't seen in awhile.

"Ah, Matthew, how have you been doing these days?" Said blonde looked startled, having been reading an ad for some school club before Arthur approached him. It occurred to him that the two had never really exchanged many words, so maybe it would be a good time to start.

"O-oh, Arthur, I've been alright, what about you? Haven't seen you in awhile." Mathew picked nervously at his red jacket, feeling awkward with the sudden conversation.

"I've been okay, surviving basically, how are you parents doing?" Arthur felt good to be talking to someone who truly knew how he was feeling.

Mathew quirked an eyebrow at the question. "Um, they're fine I guess. Why all the questions?"

_Or not. _"Uh, no reason I guess…" With the conversation quickly turning awkward he muttered a quick goodbye, hurriedly walking in the direction that was home, leaving the Canadian boy still standing in the hallway. _Why is everybody acting so strange today?_

The sun was bright upon his exiting the school building, his steps hurried as the sunlight beat down on him. It was a warm day for March, and Arthur regretted wearing his long sleeved uniform today, the collar of his shirt rubbing against his neck uncomfortably. Home was not far away, and the first thing he planned to do when he got there was to strip off his itchy uniform and into his favorite band tee. He almost smiled at the thought, he could remember the days where he him and Alfred would just sit in his living room like that and watch movies together…

"So much for that plan…" He muttered to himself, sighing. He could live with wearing the thing for a few more hours.

He quickly ascended the steps to his apartment building, digging out the house key from his pocket and unlocking the door to his small living space. With another sigh he entered, dropping his bag unceremoniously by the front door. He had never quite gotten used to living alone, his mum had passed away when he was young and his pa was always traveling, thus leaving him to his own devices. The only person he really ever had over was Alfred. The loud American would visit frequently, almost never knocking when he entered the threshold. At first Arthur found it annoying, but soon discovered he secretly looked forward to the other's visits. He didn't know why, but being around the boisterous person made him feel better, happy. Neither knew how it really happened, but eventually they found themselves dating, the two sometimes at odds with the other, but they were happy all the same.

_There I go again, making myself all depressed_, Arthur huffed as he slumped onto the couch and propped his legs up on the armrest, habitually reaching under the collar of his shirt to fiddle with the dog tags he always wore. For a moment he clawed at empty space, his fingers searching for the object he knew was there but came up with nothing. His heart fluttered in momentary panic, _where is it_? He had it yesterday and remembered falling asleep with it on as he usually did, but it was no longer hanging around his neck. Maybe it was in the bathroom? He did take a shower this morning.

Quickly he went over to the small bathroom that connected to his bedroom, flicking on the light as he desperately searched. Counter? No. Maybe its on the floor? No. Dirty hamper? He rummaged through all the pockets in the jeans, twice to be sure, and still came up with nothing. Where could it have gone? Dread began to fill him. That was the closest token he had of Alfred, how could he let it go missing?

A knock at the front door broke his concentration, the sound startling him from his frantic searching. "A-ah, just a minute!" He shouted, doing one last quick scan before walking over to the door. Who would be coming here at this time? He didn't typically get visitors. "I'm sorry but this probably isn't the best time," he explained as he opened the door, opening his eyes to almost be assaulted by a bouquet of flowers that were shoved into his face. "What the-"

Rearing his head back to distance himself from the overwhelming aroma, he caught a glimpse of the person who condoned the action, his breath nearly catching in his throat as he did so.

The man standing in front of him wore a loose white tee-shirt, though form fitting enough to hint at the muscled physic beneath, his hands covered in worn leather gloves despite the warm weather. His blue jeans were tattered and dirty, like he had been working in them before coming here. Arthur allowed his eyes to slowly trail upwards, metal tags glinting in the sunlight catching his attention, freezing him there.

It took a moment for him to look up, fearing that maybe it was all in his head. But when his eyes met shining blue it took all of his resolve not to crumble right then and there.

"A-Alfred?"

* * *

**CLIFFHANGAR-! *~Maniacal cackle~* /shot***

**For some reason this one felt a little rushed to me, I went back once or twice to add a few things as I read it, feeling the need to elaborate, but I needed to get this done! Gaah… **

**So yeah, I'm really bad at writing Arthur I feel, I just don't really know how he acts D; well sorta, but you get my point. Same with Natalia, but a lot of the stuff I read typically doesn't have her in them either :/ oh weell! **

**And I don't know where that image of Alfred came from, I know I've seen it in at least a picture before, but he usually has a jacket wrapped around his waist I think…I dunno. Maybe he has cargo pants on too, hmmm...  
**

**Reviews? TT~TT**


	4. Chapter 4

**So this will probably be my last update for like, a month. Sorry ;OAO; I might be able to squeeze in one more before I go, but I will tel you now that that is highly unlikely...**

**Its just that I go to Germany in a week, and I'll be gone for three weeks, and I don't think I will have much time, or concentration for that matter, to work on anything while I'm there. I love you all! **

**Sorry this one is just a little bit short, but I will make the next one longer definitely!**

**Oh, and uh, I don't own anything...sorta...nothing that pertains to this story but the idea at least ;-;  
**

* * *

"A-Alfred?"

The man in front of him gave a beaming smile at the acknowledgment, the exact one Arthur had seen a thousand times before, but not one he had ever expected to see again. Just as Alfred opened his mouth to speak the door slammed closed on his face.

Arthur stood there, breath ragged as he stared at the wooden door, his hand still pressed against the surface after shutting it. _It's not real, I'm dreaming again, I must be_. As much as he would love to enjoy the dream he knew they always turned into nightmares, so it was best to just get wake up before anything happened_. But when did I fall asleep?_ He paused his breathing, listening for any sound on the other side of the door, hearing none. After a few more moments he hefted a sigh, about to walk away when a voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Arthur? Look, I know you're probably still mad at me, but I just wanted to apologize. Please open the door."

Arthur turned, wide eyed as he looked back. Well that was different. _What is he talking about? A fight? I've never really dreamt something like this, its never this persistent. _Arthur brought his hand up to his forearm, pinching the skin harshly between his fingers and nearly yelping at the sting. _Well that sure as hell _hurt. He rubbed vigorously at the spot, stopping for a moment when he realized that he was still standing in his living room. But that _hurt_, this can't be a dream still can it? Then why is he…

The realization hit him in an instant. The way everyone had been acting so strange around him lately, that no one had tried to say consoling things to him at all recently like they usually did, the missing necklace, the fact that Alfred was here, in the flesh. And the fact that he seems to be under the impression that they had fought recently, it all suddenly made sense. What if it had really worked? Part of him doubted, but part of him was convinced.

Almost cautiously he walked back up to the door, hearing Alfred making shuffling noises outside, occasionally uttering more apologies. With a gulp he turned the handle, slowly pulling the door open, not sure what he was expecting. This could all be in his head couldn't it?

Alfred had stopped his talking, pausing when he heard the door creak open. Arthur's heart nearly skipped again at the sight, resisting the urge to reach forward and touch Alfred; his face, his hands, his chest; anything. Anything and everything. It was all too real, the sun glinting off his glasses, the way the light turned his hair golden, how the blue depths of his eyes could make him melt despite them being of a cooler color. He gulped, mouth suddenly feeling dry as he stared at the man before him. The man he never thought he would see again, holding flowers in apology like it was any other day.

Alfred gave him a nervous smile, "Thanks, I'm sorry for what happened, I jus-"

"I forgive you."

Alfred's face was one of pure shock; he obviously wasn't expecting that. "What?"

Arthur knew it wasn't like him, but he didn't care. "I said 'I forgive you' you twit." He nearly rolled his eyes, grabbing the flowers from Alfred's hands and pulling him down by the collar in a lip lock, not being able to hold himself back anymore.

Alfred was stiff for a moment, not expecting such forwardness from his boyfriend, but the hesitation was only temporary, quickly kissing him back and wrapping his arms around Arthur's waist to hold them closer.

No words could describe the feelings now rushing through Arthur at that moment. Elation, bliss, none of them could accurately portray the size his emotions. He felt full, overflowing even with the feeling, it wrapped around the two of them like a security blanket, the weight of it comforting in a way no one else could understand. His heart was warm, the rhythmic beating almost loud in his ears, but at the same time quiet and soothing, seemingly muffled by all the other things happening at the same moment. Alfred was here, in his arms, the flesh warm at the touch and everything about him like Arthur remembered. He really was here. It was all real.

"I'm going to have to bring you flowers more often." Alfred muttered against Arthur's mouth, his lips curved up in a playful smile.

"Oh shut up and just kiss me." The shorter blonde growled.

He grinned wider, obliging the not quite request, "You don't have to tell me twice," and connected their lips once more. The couple quickly got lost in their own world, not a care for any other than theirs, oblivious to all else.

And no one saw the cold eyes observing the pair, completely obscured in the darkness as they were. The eyes watched them, waiting until they disappeared inside the shabby abode that the mortal called his home, only stepping out of the shadows once the door closed behind them. The ominous figure stood across the street, his clothing and hair unmoving despite the wind that had kicked up around him. The only thing on his person moving was a scarf, billowing in breeze, but it moved more slowly about him, almost as if on its own, out of time with the brush of the wind. He turned his head slightly, back towards the shadows he had emerged from, a small but threatening smile on his face that could give the bravest man chills. "Ah, I'm glad you decided to show up." His violet eyes could see into the darkness what was hidden from the human eye, their color seeming to grow brighter as he turned his attention to the newcomer still hidden in the shadows. "You will keep an eye on him for me, da?"

His request was met by silence, a dark look passing over his face as he continued to stare into the shadows; a warning.

"…Yes Master Ivan." The other finally replied, sounding unwilling.

Ivan's smile grew at the answer, though the threat still could be read in his look, "Ah, good, you may leave now." The tall man waved his hand dismissively, turning back to face the building ahead, feeling the presence of the other fade behind him.

"This should be fun." He chuckled darkly, the scarf around his neck whipping wildly, convulsing for a moment before enveloping him, turning black as the shadows he stood against and in the next second he was gone, only the whispers of the wind left in his place.

Once Ivan had his eye on someone there was no escaping his hold, and, unluckily for Arthur Kirkland, his interest had been peaked.

* * *

**Oh ho ho, whats in store for our little Arthur hmm? ~**

**I would usually say ksesesesesese~, but Ivan's laugh makes more sense at the moment.  
What do you think is going to happen? I'll bet you wont get it right ;D ksesesese~  
**


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